A RADIO producer is facing backlash after making controversial comments on air.
The comments were made by Chris Curtis, an executive producer at the Boston sports radio station WEEI.
Instagram/curtisweeiWEEI host Chris Curtis was suspended in March 2023 after using a racial slur on-air[/caption]
Why was Chris Curtis suspended?
While live on-air for The Greg Hill Show, Chris Curtis made an ethnic slur towards ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes.
He later apologized, but the station still suspended him for a week following the backlash.
Curtis is scheduled to return to the station on March 29, 2023.
What did Chris Curtis say?
During the Mach 21, 2023, episode of The Greg Hill Show, Hill and his co-hosts, Courtney Cox and Jermaine Wiggins, were discussing Boston’s possible ban on mini alcohol bottles, which are also known as “nips.”
During this segment, they ranked their favorite drinks but things got controversial when Curtis chimed in.
When discussing their favorite “nip” Curtis said “Oh, I’d probably go Mina Kimes,” referencing the popular ESPN analyst who is of Korean descent.
“Nip” is also an ethnic slur that is often directed toward Japanese people, according to NBC10 Boston.
Two days later, Curtis appeared on The Greg Hill Show again and issued an apology, saying: “I attempted to bring up Mila Kunis, which was not really that funny, [it was] sophomoric and sexist, but for reasons I don’t understand, I said Mina Kimes.
“That was never the intention for me to say her name. It had nothing to do with the subject matter and it dragged her into a controversy through no fault of her own regarding a slur and her race and that was not at all what my intention was, but it doesn’t matter because of the absolute chaos my words created for someone who’s just doing her job covering the NFL at ESPN.
“So I want to apologize to Mina Kimes, I want to apologize for a stupid, lame attempt at a joke, something that there’s just really no other way to put it… it was dumb and it was silly,” he added.
He then went on to say working at WEEI “is the dream of my life,” noting that it is not a privilege he takes lightly.
Hill added: “I agree with you Curtis that is not what this show is and that is not what this radio station is. When it comes to that happening on this radio show I think that all of us apologize to those that were offended by it.”
At this time, Kimes has not commented on Curtis’ comments.
GettyChris Curtis directed a racial slur toward ESPN’s Mina Kimes[/caption]
Who is Mina Kimes?
Mina Kimes is an NFL analyst, senior writer, podcast host, and television contributor known for her work with ESPN.
She currently serves as a senior writer at ESPN and as an analyst on NFL Live.
Since joining the ESPN team in 2014, she has also been seen offering football analysis on Get Up, SportsCenter, and First Take in addition to contributing to Around the Horn and Debatable, ESPN’s daily digital show, according to her biography.
Prior to ESPN, the award-winning journalist graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and worked as an investigative reporter for Bloomberg News and as a writer for Fortune Magazine.
When Kimes is not at work, she can often be found spending time with her husband, musician Nick Sylvester.
